Skilled trades training initiative gets federal funding boost

Organized Kaos is bringing order and direction to the lives of local youth.

Founded in 2017, Organized Kaos provides mentorship and skilled trades training to young people aged 13 to 17.

“We are a faith-based charity and all the people involved come from different churches in Brantford,” Shawn Stuart, the organization’s founder, said. “Typically, they are coming in from low income housing but we have people coming in from all kinds of backgrounds.

“But we make sure that those young people who lack positive role models can find us.”

The goal is to give them a skill and bring someone into their lives who cares about them. The mentors are skilled trades people from the community, Stuart said.

Operating from a West Street shop, Organized Kaos offers training in a range of skilled trades including electrical, carpentry, bricklaying and general construction – framing and siding and roofing among others.

Organized Kaos also has access to a couple of automotive body shops in the community for its training program. It also has a mobile trailer that travels to local schools to introduce Grade 8 students to the skilled trades.

Plans call for a second carpentry shop to open in September at a Bishopsgate Road location between Paris and Burford. The new location will have capacity for 32-plus students.

The organization was recently awarded a $69,000, federal government Investment Readiness Program (IRP) grant. It is one of two local organizations to receive a grant, which was delivered through the Brant Community Foundation.

Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation received a $75,000 grant to fund its Moccasin Identifier Project. Developed by Carolyn King, the project promotes public awareness of significant Indigenous cultural sites recognizing the ancestral presence of First Nations, Metis and Indigenous communities.

The Brant Community Foundation is a registered charitable public foundation providing grants to a broad range of community initiatives in response to current and emerging community needs.

The investment readiness grant program was open to organizations and businesses, including charities, non-profits, co-ops and social enterprises. It provided $10,000 to $75,000 to create, manage, and expand social enterprises in order to get ready to accept investment.

Stuart said the grant will be used to support the OK Construction which started last year.

“A lot of the money from the grant will be used to purchase a Bobcat,” Stuart said. “It will have an auger so that we can drill fence and post holes.

“But this one will have forks and a bucket as well so we’ll be able to do a lot with it.”

The OK Construction project began last year and included two mentors and four students. They were hired for the summer and last year used a rented Bobcat at $500 a day several times to drill fence and post holes.

Renting is expensive and by purchasing a Bobcat of their own, the crew will able to do more at a reduced cost. It may also help Organized Kaos expand OK Construction.

“Everybody needs trades people right now,” Stuart said. “There isn’t a shortage of jobs out there.”

Now entering its sixth year, Stuart said the organization has and continues to grow.

“I feel like we have had an impact in the community,” Stuart said. “I think there are a lot more young people out there who now have direction.

“They have a skill and they have direction. They know what they want to do.”

Instead of spending a lot of time when they’re 18 trying to figure out what they want to do, they can figure that out now and get ready to enter the workforce, Stuart said.

Meanwhile, when asked about the story behind the name of the charity – Organized Kaos – Stuart said there isn’t one.

“I just knew that was the name and that is all I know,” Stuart said.

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